Coming Soon: Off-Market and Pre-Market Listings from Rowland Group at Compass
- Jason Rowland
- Jul 30
- 3 min read
By Jason Rowland | Founder & Managing Broker, Rowland Group at Compass | August 22, 2026
Some of the best real estate deals in Chicago never appear on Zillow. They never hit the MLS. They never have an open house or a for-sale sign in front of the building. They are bought and sold through agent networks, private relationships, and platforms like Compass's Private Exclusives, and for buyers and sellers who know how to access them, they represent a significant advantage in an inventory-constrained market.
What Is a Coming Soon Listing?
A Coming Soon listing is a property that has been listed in the Compass network and on the MLS's Coming Soon status, visible to agents and their clients, before it goes fully public. This pre-market window, typically 7-21 days, serves two purposes: it allows sellers to generate buyer interest and validate pricing before the official launch, and it gives motivated buyers early access to properties before the broader public sees them.
For sellers, Coming Soon is a powerful tool. A property that launches to genuine pre-built buyer demand has a fundamentally different market debut than one that quietly appears online one Tuesday morning. The momentum created during a well-executed Coming Soon period often translates directly into multiple offers and above-ask prices on launch day.
What Is a Compass Private Exclusive?
Compass Private Exclusives are a step further, properties listed exclusively within the Compass network, visible only to Compass agents and their buyers, with no public MLS listing at all. For sellers who value complete discretion, no public price history, no days-on-market counter, no public record of the listing, Private Exclusives offer the ability to market to a substantial pool of qualified buyers without any of the exposure of a traditional listing.
Compass is the #1 brokerage in the United States by sales volume, which means the Private Exclusives network reaches an enormous buyer pool, hundreds of thousands of Compass buyers nationally. In Chicago specifically, Compass's market presence means that a Private Exclusive reaches every serious, qualified buyer working with a Compass agent in the city.
Who Benefits from Off-Market Listings?
For sellers, off-market makes sense when privacy is a priority, executives, high-profile individuals, sellers navigating a divorce or estate sale, or simply those who prefer not to have strangers walking through their home. It also makes sense when a seller wants to test pricing privately before committing to a public listing.
For buyers, off-market access is increasingly where the best properties in Chicago's luxury and premium segments are found. At Rowland Group, our access to Compass's Private Exclusives network means our buyer clients see properties that never reach the open market. In the past year alone, we have facilitated multiple transactions above $2M entirely off-market.
Current Rowland Group Coming Soon Properties
Contact Rowland Group directly to inquire about current Coming Soon and Private Exclusive listings in Chicago's premium neighborhoods. We maintain an active pipeline of pre-market properties across Lincoln Park, Gold Coast, West Loop, Lakeview, Wicker Park, Old Town, and New Eastside, many of which are never publicly listed.
About the Author
Jason Rowland is the Founder and Managing Broker of Rowland Group at Compass, Chicago's top-producing real estate team. With $400M+ in closed transactions and over 15 years of experience, Jason is consistently ranked in the Top 1% by the Chicago Association of REALTORS®. Contact: jason.rowland@compass.com | 312-927-1942 | rowlandgroupre.com
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